Needle-loom.



Patented Aug; 20, 190|. H. SKINNER &.*F. H. CNNULLY.

NEEDLE LUO'M. l

' (Application Bled Nav. 2B, 1900.)

2 Shasta-Sheet l.

(No lllodal.)

2 sham-sheet 2.

` Patented'Aug. 2o, 190|; H. sKmNEaa F. H. coNNoLLY.

NEEDLE LOOM (Application med Nav. 2s, 1960.)

Am H0 01 m 6 0. N

(numdel.)

gw wwwa?" A 1 Unirse STATES PATENT @Ferca A nALoYoN sKiNNER AND FRANK H.ooNNoLLY, on YoNKERs, New YORK; ALBERT L. sKINNER AND CHARLES n. sKINNERnxnoUToRs or sAID HALCYON SKINNER, DECEASED,

NEEDLE-LOOM.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,004, dated August20, 1901.

Application filed November 28, 1900. Serial No. 37,961. (No model.)

"To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that we, I-IALoYoN SKINNER and FRANK H. CONNOLLY, citizensof the United States, and residents of Yonkers, in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have jointly invented a new anduseful Improvement in Needle-Loo1ns, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in 1o needlelooms, and has moreparticularly for its object to provide a loom with flexible weftyinserting needles, so that the needles may be wrapped around drums whenwithdrawn from the fabric being woven, whereby a great deal "i5 oflateral space is saved, and also whereby the needles may be employed onlooms for l weaving wide fabrics Without taking up the lateral space,which hashitherto been necessary with the straight needles.

zo A further object is to provide a weft-inserting needle which will beflexible in one direction from a straight line and inflexible in otherdirections from a straight line, thereby doing away with any tendency onthe part of the needle to buckle when it has been extended into theshed.

A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- 3o Figure 1 represents in frontelevation a portion of a loom-frame with two flexible weftinsertingneedles carried thereby and the mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 2is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. Sis a verticalsection taken from front to rear through a portion of the loom. Fig. 4is an enlarged detail side view of aportion of one of the flexibleneedles and its oscillating sprocket-wheel, a portion of the side plate4o of `one of the links of the flexible needle being broken away to showmore clearly the engagement of one of the teeth of the sprocket-wheelwith the exible needle. Fig. 5 is a partial y top plan View of one ofthe flexible needles. i Fig. 6 is a detail side View of portions of thehooked needle and the forked needle, showing the hooked needle inposition about to Q withdraw the weft from the forked needle.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same, the end 5o of the forked needlebeing shown in section;

and Fig. 8 is a detail View showing the ends of the two needles in thepositions which. they assume when the weft has been withdrawn from itsengagement with the forked needle.

In the accompanying drawings, we have only shown so much of a loom aswill enable a clear understanding of the construction and inode ofoperation of the flexible needles to which our present invention isdirected.

The side frames of the loom are denoted by 6o A A', which frames arespaced apart in the usual manner. Brackets a ct project later ally fromthe side frames A A' at points a short distance above the lay-beam B, inwhich brackets are secured forwardly extended 65 stub-axles C O. WheelsD D', which are represented in the present instance as sprocketwheels,are mounted to oscillate upon the stub-axles C O'.

A pair of flexible weft-inserting needles E 7o E' have their inner endssecured at e e to the peripheries of the wheels D D. These liexi bleneedles are arranged to be partially wrapped around the peripheries ofthe said sprockets when their free ends are drawn outwardly away fromthe shed of warp and to be unwound therefrom when their free ends arecaused to engage each other atthe middle of the loom. In the presentinstance we have shown the needle E as the forked needle 8o and theneedle E as the hooked needle. A single needle may also be used,arranged to pass entirely through the shed and` provided with a hookedor forked end.

As the bodies of the needles E E are quite similarfwe will proceed todescribe the construction of one only of the said needles. The portionof the needle which is intended to be partially wrapped around theperiphery of the oscillating wheel comprises a plurality 9o of in nerandouter links e2 e3, so arranged that the teeth of the wheel will enterthe outer links e3 between the ends of 4the inner links e2 forpositively moving the needle in either direction. The needleis madeflexible in one The guides F roo F' are supported by brackets f f',projecting side frames A A and their upper ends secomm on.

'of the needles in connection with muchwider `tothe rotary cam-shaft jof the loom.

cured to flexible connections g g', which flexible connections engageperipheries of drums or pulleys g2 g3, mounted on the stub-axles CC andfixed to the wheels D D'. The wheels D D are rotated in the oppositedirection, tending to withdrawthe flexible needles from the shed bymeansot' flexible connections H Hleading from a central pulley or drum IVto ldrums or pulleys-l1J h', mounted on .the

stub-axles C C' and fixed to rotate with the wheels D D'. These flexibleconnections I-I I-I also pass around idler-pulleys h2 h3, car` ried bythe side frames A A.

The central-pulley I, from which the flexible connections H H lead, isfixed to rotate with a shaft t', mounted in suitable bearings it'carried by cross-bars a2 a3 ot the loomframe, the oscillating movementof which shaft t' is under the control of a cam J, fixed This camJ-engages a stud or roller 7c on a rocking lever yK, hinged to thecross-bar d3, above referred to, the free end of the said lever havingIcommonlyvused the loom is permitted to oc-` cupy much less lateralspace than has been VIt furthermore permits of the use looms than it hasbeen possible to do before,

slight movement of the controlling-cam will impart a'great movement ofthe needles.

Furthermore, by making the needles flexible vention.

in one direction from astraight line and inflexible in all otherdirections we are enabled to force the needles positively toward eachother within the shed without any danger of the needles buckling. K

It is to be understood that by the use of the term flexible inconnection with the weftinserting needles hereinbefore set forth we meana needle which may be easily bent, so as to be capable ot' being wrappedaround a drum at the side of the loom instead of causing it to projectin a straight line'away from the side of the loom, as has hitherto beenusual. The term flexible is used to distinguish our improved needle fromthe sti needles already in use, which needles may be possibly bent fromtheir normal straight position, but which arenot easily bent or pliant.

It is evident that changes might be resorted to in the form,construction, and arrangement of the several parts withoutV departingfrom thespirit and scope of our in- I-Ience we do not wish to limitourselves strictly to the structure herein set Vforth b u t What Weclaim isl. A weft-inserting needle for needle-looms, flexible in onedirection from a straight line and inflexible in the opposite direction,substantially as set forth. t

2. Aweft-inserting needle for needle-looms being flexible in onedirection only from a straight line and inflexible inail otherdirections, substantially as set forth.

3. A weft-inserting needle for needle-looms comprising a plurality oflinks so connected .that the needle will be flexible in one directionfrom a straight line and inflexiblein the yopposite direction,substantially as set forth.

Inv testimony that we claim the foregoing yasvour invention we havesigned our names,

in presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of November, 1900.

HALCYON SKINNER. FRANK H. CONNOLLY. Witnesses:

CHAs. E. SKINNER, `W.YII. DUNs'roNE.

